CHAPTER FIFTEEN:  STARTING OVER

Ron seemed to be stuck in some sort of a trance. His mind was having difficulty processing the thought that tomorrow was graduation. Tomorrow would mark the end of seven years at Hogwarts.  Seven years that he wouldn't trade for anything else in the world.  Some of the things he had learned in that time no book could have ever taught him.  Things like friendship, loyalty, courage, love, regret, and heartache. 

There were a lot of things he wished he could go back and do over, but since he would never get that chance he would have to settle for how his life was now.  Where he had originally couldn't wait to be out of Hogwarts, he was now more sad than anything to see it ending.  Most of his best memories had happened right there. Even those not so good ones did not make him feel like he would miss the place any less.  After tomorrow, it would probably be a very long time before he ever saw the school again.  The person he had to thank for that had barely been able to stand being in the same room with him for the better part of the year.

 His tutoring sessions with Hermione had started off easily enough. They had both felt too awkward to do much arguing in the beginning, but that had not lasted for long. Some of their sessions were nothing but full-fledged yelling matches with more tears shed then Ron thought was possible. But like their previous years of friendship, when they had each calmed down enough, they would smooth things over.  Sometimes apologies were given, other times they acted like nothing had happened.  Only now the things they fought about were quite different then the petty bickering they used to do. Sometimes it took days, and once it had even taken a full week before they had started speaking again.

Ron had wondered on several occasions why Hermione kept doing it – why she didn't just give up on him.  It was obvious she was only making herself more miserable by being around him.  She never did give up, though.  She helped him right up until the end, and that was the only reason he had managed to scrape together enough NEWTS to graduate.

He had taken a time out from the celebrations going on in Gryffindor Tower to wonder to the library. He had become quite familiar with it in his last year at the school. For a while there he had been using the time that wasn't spent in classes sitting in there, doing his homework, avoiding the Gryffindor common room at all costs.

It still amazed him how his life had gone from complete misery to something that resembled maybe not happiness, but rather being at peace with himself and the choices he had made.  Perhaps that's why he was sitting in the library; to reflect on how he had gotten to where he was at that very moment.

"This is certainly the last place I'd expect to find you tonight," said a voice from behind him.

"Maybe I've become a bit bookish.  Is that a problem?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It is if you're spending more time in here then me," Hermione replied.

He had to smile. It had taken endless nights of crying and heartache for speaking to each other to become an almost natural thing again. Sometimes it was like that night in Hogsmeade had never happened and their friendship was the same as it had always been. Sometimes… but not always.

"Really, Ron, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be enjoying the celebrations in the common room,"

"I was. I just needed to get some air,"

"And you came up to the library?" She shook her head, smiling. "I really have had a bad influence on you, haven't I?"

"The worst," he said with a smirk. "But I can't complain,"

"You better not," she said, slipping up onto the desk beside him.

They were silent for a time, simply enjoying each other's company when Ron reached a hand into his robes and pulled out a small box. "I was going to wait 'til tomorrow," he said, handing it to her, "but they'll be loads of people at the ceremony and the ministry will probably be all over you," he said in a teasing voice, "so, here,"

She took the small rectangular box from him, saying, "Ron, you didn't have to get me anything."  Looking a bit embarrassed, she added, "I didn't get you anything,"

He waved a hand to show it didn't matter.  Though when he spoke, the light tone in his voice was gone.  "That night when I said you didn't owe me anything, I meant it. But I owe you everything, Hermione. Seven years is a long time to carry someone – especially if that someone is a bad-tempered git like myself. I thought this would be a start to paying you back,"

She opened the box, more curious then ever now. But all that was inside were what looked to be a bunch of blank business cards.  She was at a loss for what to say.  She had never received such a strange gift.

Seeing her puzzled look, Ron said, "there what those hot shots at the ministry use," he said, taking one out of the box and taking out his wand. "You just tap it like this and say whatever your title and position are and the card will show it. Watch," he tapped it with his wand and said loudly, "Hermione Granger, Minister of Magic,"

Instantly the card transformed, displaying her name and the words 'minister of magic' directly underneath.   The card continued to change, showing the ministry's logo in the top right hand corner, as well as the address and location of the building near the bottom.

"Then you just tap it again to wipe it clean,"

Sure enough the card turned completely blank again.

"It's not much," he said, shrugging.

"I love it," she told him. She laid her free hand on top of his.

He tried to hide his shock at her gesture, but wasn't sure if it worked.

"Have you thought about your dad's offer?" She asked him.

"Not really. I don't want to work at the ministry," he said to her.

"You could just take it until you figure out what it is you want to do,"

"I s'ppose," he conceded. He turned and raised a curious eyebrow at her as if realizing something for the first time. "What were you doing away from the party? Don't tell me you were looking for me,"

"Then I guess you'll never know," she said to him. "Now are we going to head back?" She said slipping down from the table. "I don't know about you but I don't fancy spending my last night in the library,"

"Are you sure? There must be at least two or three books in here you haven't read," he teased.

She gave him a playful shove. "I think I'll pass,"

They were almost out of the library, when Ron grabbed her hand to stop her. "Look, I know things are still weird between us and might be for a long time, but I don't want us to lose touch once we're out of here.  I want things to stay the same between you, Harry, and me.  I know it's probably asking a lot – "

"No, it's not," she cut in quickly.  "I want things to be right between us too.  Sometimes I think it'll never happen, but I'm willing to try if you are,"

        She may not have bought him anything, but she had just given him the best gift anyone could have asked for: hope.

"Are you done yet?" Ron called impatiently.

"Almost," came Hermione's response. "Just give me another minute,"

Ron sighed. He had forgotten how much of a pack rat she could. Her trunk had always been the heaviest at Hogwarts – no doubt owing to all the books she would bring with her.  That reminded him of the deal they had made.  "I hope you're not bringing any books with you.  Remember, we agreed there would be no education of any sort on this trip.  That includes quoting from any books you've read,"

She emerged into the living room then, dragging a gigantic size trunk with her.  "If I have nothing to read what am I supposed to do if I get bored?"

She was teasing, and Ron played along.  "We'll if you think you're going to be bored, maybe you should stay here,"

She took out her wand and shrunk her luggage to fit in the palm of her hand like he had and placed it in her jacket pocket.  "I do have a lot of work to – "

"No," he cut in almost immediately.  "There is no way you're calling off our trip for work.  If anyone needs – no deserves a break, it's you,"

The joking seemed to be over.  She now looked to be having second thoughts about the whole thing, so Ron said, "Hermione, the ministry won't fall apart if you're not there for a week,"

"I know, but it just doesn't feel right taking a whole week off without warning,"

"Considering you've accumulated enough vacation time to take an entire year off, no wonder the minister didn't put up too much of a fuss,"

"I know, but what about your family and Ginny and Harry? We're not even telling them were leaving,"

He sighed.  "We've already been over this. They'll just try and stop us from going, saying we're moving too fast and we don't know what we're doing. We'll send them an owl as soon as we reach where we're going and tell them everything. Can you imagine the look on my mum's face when I tell her we're back together? I think that's a conversation I'd like to put off for a while. Besides," he added mischievously, slipping his hands around her waist, "we do have a lot of catching up to do,"

"For once, I can't argue with you. But don't get used to it," she added quickly.

He laughed.  "Don't worry, I won't,"

Hand in hand they vacated the apartment and didn't look back.

I hope you enjoyed the final chapter.  I know I left some loose ends with Ginny and Harry and the whole "relationship" thing with Hermione and Harry when they were at Hogwarts, but that's what sequels are for.  I don't know when I'll start working on it.  I have two other stories on the go right now, and there's this other idea for a Harry Potter story that I've got in my head and it will not go away until I write it.  All I can say is there will be a sequel for this story some time in the future.

Thanks to all the wonderful and encouraging reviews that kept me writing, and I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story as much as I have writing it.  Until the next story,

Buffybot